16 June 2014 - Hundreds of people in Ibba County, Western Equatoria, today witnessed the opening of the first ever primary boarding school in the state.

The all-girls school is the brainchild of Ibba County Commissioner Bridget Nagomoro, who wrote a proposal for donors from the United Kingdom (UK) to provide funds to build the school.

“I came from a poor family and often lacked school fees,” said Ms. Nagomoro, adding that another challenge was the long distance she had to walk every morning and evening to get to and from school.

As a pupil, Ms. Nagomoro then decided to one day establish a boarding school for girls, so that they would not experience the same challenges she had. In 2011, as County Commissioner, she wrote a proposal and her idea kicked off.

In 2012, Professor John Benington and his wife Jean arrived in the county to oversee the building of the school, with funding support from other well-wishers in the UK. Ms. Nagomoro and a local chief donated land on which to build the school.

“It is our pleasure to be here in Ibba,” said Prof. Benington at the opening ceremony today. “We shall continue to support the boarding school if the government and community in Ibba come together as one.”

The school, which consists of four classroom blocks, a dormitory and teachers’ quarters, has already admitted 40 girls, with 22 from Ibba and two each from the state’s other nine counties. According to the school’s website, the school staff is made up of South Sudanese as well as volunteers from the UK and Australia. http://ibbagirlsschool.org)

Marlina Benson, a pupil from Mundri West County, expressed her wish to one day become a state governor, urging her fellow students to focus on education rather than play with boys.

Ms. Nagomoro said she considered the school a legacy she could leave to the people of Western Equatoria and hoped that it would expand to accommodate girls from other states in South Sudan.

Opening the school, State Governor Colonel Bangasi Joseph Bakosoro appreciated her efforts, stating that he would dismiss county commissioners who hindered development or only served their own self-interest.

“There is no other road to a better life besides (getting) an education,” said Col. Bakosoro. “If everyone goes to school, Western Equatoria will develop and transform into a better place.”

Although illiteracy rates in South Sudan are high, with more than 80 per cent of the population unable to read or write, girls face the biggest challenges.

According to South Sudan’s General Education Strategic Plan for 2012 -2017, only 17 per cent of girls in the country complete the eight-year primary cycle. Many girls are unable to attend school or complete their education due to safety-related issues, financial constraints, institutional and cultural barriers, pressure for early marriage, sexual harassment, and violence in and out of educational settings.

Daniel Deng Bol, Archbishop of the Episcopal Church and Chairperson of the National Platform for Peace and Reconciliation, commended the governor and community in the state for their co-existence. He urged them to continue to show other South Sudanese communities how to live in peace and pave the way for education and development.